The garment factory in Bangladesh where 112 people were killed in a fire over the weekend was used by a host of major U.S. and European retailers, an Associated Press reporter discovered Wednesday from clothes and account books left amid the blackened tables and melted sewing machines at Tazreen Fashions Ltd.

Clothes for sale by the country’s biggest chains — and some of its revered retailers — appear to have originated in the now-infamous Tazreen Fashions Ltd. Factory.

It’s where 112 workers, locked inside, died a during a Thanksgiving weekend fire.

The Disney name makes a sweatshop story sound more shocking, but most of America’s major labels and department stores have been implicated in sweatshop scandals, says Todd Larsen of Green America.

Green America is a Washington, D.C.-based group that counts among its goals empowering people to make choices to promote social justice.

He has this advice for shoppers who want to ensure their clothing was made in factories where workers are treated humanely.

1. Look for the right labels.

A tag that says a product was made in the U.S. isn’t enough to ensure the thing didn’t come from a sweatshop. Unsafe conditions exist in U.S. factories as well as in those in U.S. territories.

To make certain, consumers have to go a step further. Sites such as GreenPages.org and Labor411.org can direct buyers to brands whose leaders are committed to dealing fairly with employees. Larsen would also direct consumers to FairTradeFederation.org for a state-by-state list of members.

2. Buy used

Maybe union-made Brooks Brothers is a little steep for your budget. Try consignment and thrift stores. Even if the clothes you buy there came through less-than-savory manufacturers, the money you spend on them doesn’t go back to those manufacturers.

“You’re not actually contributing to the sweatshop economy,” Larsen says.

3. Get answers — or at least ask

You can ask the stores you frequent whether the company has a code of conduct dealing with the treatment of employees — its own and those contracted outside the company. Chances are the people inside the stores won’t know. But most retailers have online forms for comments and questions.

The response or lack thereof will go a long way in telling you what you need to know about a corporation’s commitment to workers and how it ensures their treatment at home and overseas.

“It’s a good sign if they actually write you back,” says Larsen. “… They might not be perfect but if there’s a program in place you can feel better about them.”